30 creative poster design ideas that will get you noticed

Whether you need a vehicle to get people excited about a new film, a buzzworthy product, or your next event, the best way to do it? Posters.

Posters are great because they work across-the-board; it doesn’t matter who you are, what you do or what you’re promoting, a poster is an effective and visually impactful way to get the word out and get your audience excited about what’s coming.

A great poster will get your audience excited!

But not all posters are created equal. An effective poster design for the next big indie film is going to look different from a poster advertising a music festival. And on top of it, an effective poster is going to look different for a company that wants a cool and hip feel vs. a company that’s more trustworthy and serious.

You get the picture.

We’ve pulled together some of the best poster design ideas we’ve seen across genres to get you excited and inspired about what’s possible for you and your poster design.

How the right poster can boost your business
—

Before we dive into examples of some ah-mazing posters sure to deliver a boost of inspiration to you and your business, let’s talk about why posters—the right posters—are so effective.

Poster design is about more than designing a pretty piece of paper to slap on the side of a building. When you have the right poster design, it can actually do a lot to boost your company or organization and communicate your brand message.

Great, on-brand poster design builds authority and drives interest: the right poster will connect with your target audience and peak their interest in your product, event, or whatever else you’re performing. And when you choose design elements that feel uniquely you, it will strengthen your brand message and recognition with your audience.

So now that you know posters are one of the most impactful ways to connect with your audience, let’s take a look at some posters done right to get those creative juices flowing, shall we?

Minimalist posters

Sometimes, less is more. Posters that take a minimalist approach to design can convey everything you want to say about your brand, event, or product with just a few impactful design elements. Whether you go with minimalist graphics or make use of whitespace, taking the less-is-more approach shows your audience you don’t need a lot of big, flashy design elements to get things done.

This style of poster is a great choice for promoting a film, a new apparel line, or appealing to a more “cool and hip” crowd (the key to being cool is to never look like you’re trying too hard).

Typographic posters

Sometimes, a poster has a lot of information it’s got to convey—and in that case, the focus needs to be on the typography.

This type of poster is a great option for when you’ve got a lot of information to deliver to your audience, like when you’re promoting an event and need to get across the date, time, location, and all that fun stuff. Or when you’re trying to deliver key messaging (like your company values or mission statement) in a visually impactful way.

Graphic posters

On the flip side, sometimes the best approach to creating an impactful poster is keeping text to a minimum and focussing on the graphics.

Graphic posters are a great alternative option for promoting a film, event, or product—instead of overwhelming your audience with text, you let them interpret the graphic however they’d like (which can go a long way in building intrigue and peaking interest).

Colorful posters

So, like we said, sometimes less is more… but sometimes more is more, and that can definitely be true with color.

Using a lot of color in your poster design makes a bold statement. It captures people’s attention and, depending on the colors you choose, can help strengthen your brand messaging (color psychology is a powerful thing).

There’s no one industry or type of business that would benefit more from using color than others; the point is, you have to be strategic with the colors you choose. If you’re a children’s company, using bright, primary colors is a solid choice. If you’re trying to promote your new smoothie line, use colors that ignite the senses and make someone crave a beverage. If you’re trying to get people excited about a concert, use vibrant colors to get their energy up.

The point is, use color in a way that helps you achieve whatever goal you’re trying to hit with your poster, whether that’s to drive people to an event or sell more product.

Photo-centric posters

Like the old saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Sometimes, a photograph can capture something that text, graphics, and illustrations can’t, whether that’s human emotion, a sense of place, the grandness of nature, or a sense of realism.

There’s never a bad time to use a photo in a poster—if you have something that really captures the essence of what you’re trying to communicate in your poster, go for it.

Wrapping things up
—

As you can see, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to designing a great poster. But now that you’ve seen the different options out there—and gotten some serious inspiration—it’s time to figure out the best approach for you and your brand. Now get out there and get designing!

Want a poster that says it all?

Our designers know how to wow a crowd.

The author

Deanna deBara is a freelance writer at 99designs. When she's not furiously typing away at her laptop and geeking out on all things design related, you'll likely find her geeking out on all things Harry Potter, finding her Zen through meditation or training for her next ill-advised athletic endeavor.